During project planning, stakeholders have conflicting requirements for project scope. What should the project manager do?

Correct answer: Facilitate discussion among stakeholders to understand priorities and constraints, then align requirements with project objectives

Option A is correct because the PMBOK Guide recommends that a project manager facilitate stakeholder discussions to surface priorities, constraints, and trade-offs, then align the negotiated requirements with stated project objectives, ensuring a shared understanding and formal baseline. Option B is incorrect because deferring entirely to the sponsor for every scope conflict is passive management that delays planning, undermines the project manager's facilitation role, and can leave underlying conflicts unresolved. Option C is incorrect because the requirement benefiting the most stakeholders is not necessarily aligned with project objectives, budget, or constraints, and majority-rule selection without structured analysis can create scope creep. Option D is incorrect because combining all conflicting requirements without prioritization leads to unmanageable scope, increased risk, and budget overruns, which violates sound scope management principles.